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The Laurel High School girls soccer team has been one of the top teams in the state during the first month of the season.

On Monday, they faced what will likely be their toughest competition as the Lady Locomotives continue their run at the 2014 State A Title. Unfortunately, Laurel’s girls soccer team came up just a bit short.

The respective teams came into the game with over 60 combined goals, but Billings Central’s defense, which has allowed just one goal all season, proved to be the difference.

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A two-point conversion is all that stood between Laurel and what — according to the outsiders — may have been their biggest upset since Laurel won the 1999 State A Title.

Instead, it was another win for Dillon over the Locomotives in a game that the Locomotives dominated within the line of scrimmage.

“I’m very proud of the way our kids came out and showed the focus we needed to be successful,” said Laurel head coach Mike Ludwig. “We had a good play call there, and we just didn’t come up with the play.”

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While there isn’t an official poll of Montana media members ranking the top teams in Class A soccer like there is in football and basketball, it would be hard to argue against Billings Central and Laurel as the top two teams through the first three weeks of the season.

After all, the two teams combined have raced to a 11-0-1 record while outscoring their opponents 57-7.

Now the long-time rivals will go head-to-head Thursday evening in Billings with the winner taking a slight edge in the Eastern A Conference Championship race.

Although they have just one win through their first six matches of the season, the Locomotives have been in every match and with a couple of different bounces could be looking at a winning record heading into Thursday’s conference opener at Billings Central.

The Locomotives have scored seven goals as a team this season, with seven different players all finding the back of the net.